Differential mechanism



Oct 22, 1 G. c. VANDERBERG 2,219,025

DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISM' Filed Jan. 25, 1940 6/677 6. flaw/emery Q Wm KM Patented Oct. 22, 1940 DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISM Glen 0. Vanderberg, Buchanan, Mich, assignor to Clark Equipment Company, Buchanan,

Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application January 25, 1940, Serial No. 315,480

7 Claims.

This invention relates to differential mechanisnm, and more particularly is concerned with differentials of the type used on rear axles of automotive vehicles and the like in which a pin- 5 ion shaft driven from the transmission is adapted to drive a ring gear connected to a differential case containing diflerential mechanisms for driving the axle shafts.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to eliminate the use of two sets of securing means in the differential case, one for securing the ring gear to the case and the other for securing the two portions of the case together. The invention is primarily concerned with that type of differential case in which the case itself is composed of two parts forming receiving means for the axle shafts and the side gears which drive these shafts.

Formerly it has been the practice to use a cirzo cumferential series of bolts for tieing the two halves of the case together, and one of the case portions has normally been provided with a radially extending shouldered flange to which is secured the ring gear by either a series of rivets or 25 other securing means.

The present invention contemplates the elimination of the securing means formerly used to hold the two halves of the case together, and provides for clamping these two case portions to- 30 gether by the same securing means which secures the ring gear to the flange of one of the case members. However, the securing means has no contact whatever with the other case member, this case member being of such radial extent as 35 to be entirely disposed within the bolt circle of the ring gear securing means.

This provides a very cheap and economical means for securing the two case pieces together, eliminates the necessity of a second series of bolts 40 or studs, and allows for the provision of a compact, easily assembled and disassembled differential mechanism which, however, is rigidly held together in assembled position to perform all of the functions desired therein.

45 Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description which, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, will disclose to those skilled in the art the particular con- 50 struction and operation of a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawing, which is a sectional view through a differential mechanism embodying the present invention, there is disclosed a differential 55 carrier 5 having a peripheral flange portion 8 by which the carrier may be bolted to the banjo portion 1 of an axle housing, as by means of the studs 8. The carrier 5 is provided with an integrally formed cylindrical recess or opening within which is disposed the outer race ll of a double tapered bearing assembly, the race ll being locked in position by means of the bearing cap l2 bolted to the face of the recess I by means of the studs IS. A suitable pinion shaft ll having the hypold pinion l5 formed adjacent one end thereof is mounted within the bearing assembly, the inner bearing races l5 being mounted on the shaft it between the gear portion l5 and the hub. portion ll of a universal joint flange which is secured to the splined end of the shaft by means of the nut l8. Suitable sealing means I! is provided about this hub portion to prevent oil leakage therepast. The shaft ll beyond the pinion portion I5 is provided with a short stud portion carrying a bearing assembly 22 retained 20 in the bearing recess formed in the web 23 of the differential carrier 5.

The differential mechanism comprises a twopiece case having the case portions 25 and 26, the case portion 25 being provided witha radially ex- 25 tending flange 2'I terminating in an axially inwardly recessed shouldered face 28. The case portion 25 is of generally conical form and terminates adjacent its small end in the'bearlng sleeve portion about which is disposed the bearing 30 assembly 32 'journalling this portion of the differential casein the bearing journal formed by the carrier 5 and the bearing journal cap 33, which is bolted thereto in a conventional manner. The opposite case portion 26 is also provided with a 35 radial flange 35 which, however, is of considerably smaller diameter than the flange 21, and is adapted to be piloted in the recessed shoulder portion 28 of the member 25, whereby the members 25 and 25 are piloted into accurate axial aline- 4o ment.

The member 26 is also of conical form but of greater axial length than the member 25 and terminates in a bearing sleeve portion 35 journalled in the bearings 31 carried by the carrier 5 5 and bearing journal cap 38 in a conventional manner. The flange 35 of the member 25 is provided with the axial annular shoulder portion 39 extending axially away from the member 25 and forming an annular shoulder upon which 60 is piloted the flanged portion of a hypoid ring gear 42 adapted to be engaged by the hypoid pinion l5 on the shaft M. It will be seen that the inwardly etxending flange portion ll of the ring gear 42 therefore clamps the flange 35 of 5 thecasepartflagainsttherecessedshoulder 28, and flrmly holds it in position, the ring gear being held securely against'the face of the flange II by means of a circumferential series of bolts 44 engaged by nuts ll for effecting this clamp-' ing pressure. It should be noted that the studs 44 are disposed radially outwardly of the peripheral edge of the flange SI so that the flange at no time comes into contact with the studs but-- formed are the pinion gears I. mounted upon the pinion spider l2 and having meshing en-' gagement with the side gear members It and I4. respectively, which members have internally splined hub portions adapted to receive the splined ends ll of a pair of axle shafts II and II. This comprises the diflerential part of the driving mechanism as the pinion gears ll control the differential action between the shafts It and II. The case members II and 28 have mating recesses in the faces thereof forming retaining means for the spider arms and also thereby restraining the case members against relative rotation.

It will be noted that the differential assembly is split along the center line of the pinion shafts II or through the axis of the pinion gears.

It will be apparent that by the clamping of the radial flange or lip 35 of the case part it within the annular channel shaped radially inwardly directed groove formed between the flange ll of the ring gear and the recessed shoulder it of the case part 2|, the member It is securely held against either axial or radial movement relative to the case part It, and consequently the two case parts can be accurately alined for receiving the differential mechanism and, of course, are securely supported by means of the bearing assemblies 12 and 31 against any possibility of booking movement.

It will be apparent that the bolts it thus serve to'retain the case closed as well as to support .the ring gear 42 on the case, and consequently loosening of this one set of bolts will result in disassembly of the entire differential mechanism for inspection, replacement or repair.

I am aware that various changes may be made in certain details of the present construction, and I therefore do not intend to be limited except as defined by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a diflerential, a two piece differential case, one case member having a radially extending flange and an axial recess in the face thereof, the other case member having a radial lip fillml pilotedinsaidrecess,aringgeardisposed against saidflangefaceandextendingradiailyinw'ardiy tooverliesaidlipandconflneitinsaidrecen and means through said flange and gearforclampingthemtogetherdisposedradially outwardly beyond said lip.

2. A diflerential case construction comprising aflrst casemember terminatingat oneendina radial flange face, a radially inwardly disposed axialrecessinsaidfaceasecondcasemember terminatinginaradiallipadaptedtoseatin said recess and'conflned radially therein, a ring gear having a radial flange portion engaging saidflangeface andextendingradiallyinwardly to overlie said lip. and means clamping said ring gear to said'flange face disposed radially outwardly of said lip.

3. A differential case conmrising two case members terminating at adjacent ends in radial flanges, one of said flanges having an axial recessinthefacetherecfadaptedtoreceivethe flange of the other member, a ring gear secured to the face of said one flange and extending radially inwardly to overlie said other flange for conflning said other flange against axial displacement out of said recess, and a circumferential series of bolts clamping said gear to said one flange face disposedradially outwardly beyond the periphery of said other flange.

4. A differential comprising two conially shaped case members terminating at their smaller ends in cylindrical sleeves, a differential carrier having bearing journals receiving d sleeves, one of said members terminating a its large end in a radially outwardly extending flange having an axially directed recess in the face thereof, a ring gear having a radial face secured to said flange face and extending radially inwardly to overlie said recess to form a radially inwardly directed channel therewith, and a radial lip on said second case member radialLv and axially conflned in said channel.

5. The combination of claim 4 further charactl'iaed in the provision of a pinion spider, and mating recesses in the faces of said case members receiving and supporting the arms of said 6. A diflerential case comprming two case members terminating at adjacent ends in axially telescoped radial flanges, and a ring gear havingaradialflangefacesecuredtotheoutercase flange and overlying the inner case flange to conflne the latter in position.

'7. The combination of claim 6 further characte'riaed in that said gear flange is secured in position by a circumferential'series of bolts disposed radially outwardly of the periphery of the inner case flange.

* GLEN C. VANDERBERG. 

